PRINCE Charles made a private visit to a Greek Orthodox priest in North Wales yesterday.

After a busy day with four stop-offs in North Wales, he spent about an hour chatting to Father Deiniol at the Church of Holy Protector in Blaenau Ffestiniog.

Neither would comment on what was said during their meeting.

A spokesman for Prince Charles said the visit was private and declined to comment further.

Father Deiniol, whose church has existed in the terraced house on Manod Road for more than 20 years, also said their discussions were private. The Prince is not believed to have visited the house before.

His Royal Sikorski S76 helicopter, which whisked him between engagements yesterday, landed in a farmer's field around three miles from the slate town, and the Prince travelled to the church by car with his bodyguards.

Father Deiniol told the Daily Post: "The Prince of Wales has many links with the Orthodox Church and sometimes visits such a church if there is one in the area."

He added he had met Prince Charles on several occasions.

Neighbours were unaware of Prince Charles' visit. Children from the Penygwndwn council estate played football outside the house as the heir to the throne chatted.

Just a few police No Waiting signs gave an indication something unusual was going on.

Sharon Jones, who works at Father Deiniol's charity shop, said: "I saw the signs and I thought there was a funeral.

"Father Deiniol gave us no inkling that he was expecting Prince Charles to call by."

Marian Thomas said: "By visiting today he has put Blaenau on the map. It's good to see him visit ordinary people and places."

Earlier, the Prince paid tribute to North Wales firefighters yesterday when he opened a new fire station.

His comments came as he met three members of the same family who have devoted more than half a century of service to the brigade.

During the northern leg of his four-day summer tour to Wales, he also drove a steam loco named after a previous Prince of Wales, as well as helping children's TV programme Blue Peter hand over a new vehicle for a pioneering door-to-door scheme for older people.

And the outspoken critic of architecture dropped into Portmeirion, to fulfil a long-standing wish to visit the Italianate village. There he met a young singer-songwriter who is pursuing a music career thanks to support from the Prince's youth charity.

His day in North Wales started with an invitation to a toddler's birthday party, from 20-year-old Kelly Palmer and her son Nathan, who is two on Monday, during a walkabout at Llanfairfechan in North Wales - but he won't be able to make it to the party, he said.

He opened the town's new #500,000 fire station, touring it with sub officer Kevin Rowlands, whose wife Carol and brother Tommy also work at the station, before going outside to watch a training exercise and meet relatives of the firefighters.

Kevin and Tommy have both received the Fire Brigade long service and good conduct medals in recognition of 20 years of service.

The Prince, speaking in Welsh and English, said: "I'm fascinated to see that the fire service is something of a family business. I think it's remarkable that this family has given 52 years of service. I could not be more delighted that both Kevin and Tom have received the long service and good conduct medals in recognition of what they have done.

"We all know how immensely brave firefighters are. Obviously their role is not just fighting fires, but they also have to deal with other incidents such as road accidents, and I've also seen the work being done to promote fire safety in the community."

Sub officer Rowlands said: "He went out of his way to be kind and courteous to everybody. I was impressed by his Welsh as well, fair play to him."

Firefighter Dewi Jones, 34, said Charles was "very pleasant, very down to earth".

The Prince also chatted to relatives who had gathered outside to watch the training exercise, including Ryan Butler, 11, whose father Steven has been a firefighter at Llanfairfechan for 13 years. Ryan said it was "great" to meet Prince Charles, adding: "He asked me if I was having a nice summer holiday, and I said I was having a nice day."

The new station replaces the old building, in use since 1900. It is manned by eight part-time firefighters.

The Prince then travelled to Waunfawr, near Caernarfon, to open a restored section of the Welsh Highland Railway.

On the station platform he spoke to grandmother Barbara Griffith, who asked for a kiss.

After the Prince obliged, 61-year-old Mrs Griffith said: "I got a kiss off him last time he came here about four years ago. It's becoming a habit."

The Prince also met John and Olive Pritchard, from nearby Beddgelert, who used the railway when it was first built in the 1920s.

Mr Pritchard, 87, said: "I was allowed to ride on the train on a Friday if I had been a good boy at school and they let me out ten minutes early."

On the station platform, Charles met volunteer workers from the Welsh Highland Railway Society and Antur Waunfawr, a group for people with physical and mental disabilities.

Charles boarded a restored steam engine named Prince, built in 1863 and said to be the world's oldest working narrow-gauge engine.

It was named Prince following a visit by Edward VII, when he was Prince of Wales.

The Prince rode in a carriage as far as Snowdon Ranger Station, before donning a blue overall jacket and heavy gloves to drive the engine the final two miles to Rhyd Ddu.

He was accompanied by driver Tony Williams, 56, from Dolgellau.

Speaking after the trip, he said: "I was extremely impressed with the Prince's driving and I think he should come and work here as a volunteer driver on the railway."

At Rhyd Ddu Charles was presented with a replica token, which engine drivers used as their authority to pass between stations.

He travelled on by car to meet Blue Peter presenter Konnie Huq at the Nanhoron Arms Hotel, Nefyn, near Pwllheli, and launch the O Ddrws i Ddrws (Door to Door) travel scheme.

The aim of the service is to help elderly people in Pen Lloen, in out of the way areas, to get about, and Blue Peter viewers have helped to buy a new vehicle.

The BBC1 children's programme agreed to raise money after a letter from Molly Steele, 10, from Caernarfon.

After meeting Charles, Molly said: "It was great to meet him. It was really exciting."

On his arrival Prince Charles talked to May Salisbury, 96, of the Plas Hafan home, in Nefyn. "I told him I was in the home and he asked me 'Are you well looked after?' and I said 'Yes'."

Betty Parsons, 78, and Margaret Newton, 79, also of Plas Hafan, handed over flowers to the Prince, who later chatted to June Ball and Doreen Knight, who are celebrating their 73rd and 75th birthdays.

The Prince completed his public schedule with a trip to Portmeirion, the Italianate village which was used as the setting for cult TV series The Prisoner.

The popular tourist attraction was thronged with visitors eager to catch a glimpse of the Prince and he chatted with several people as he made his way from the main entrance to Hercules Hall.

In the hall, he viewed an exhibition of work done by the Prince's Trust in North Wales.

He met young people who had been helped by the Trust, including 22-year-old Caroline Mulcahy, from Lampeter, who set up a music events arrangement businesses with the charity's assistance.

She sang her own song, Hit The Skies, and played acoustic guitar as Charles nodded his head to the rhythm. He said: "That was very good. I am sure you'll go very far."

The Royal visitor addressed assembled guests, praising the confidencebuilding work of his charity.

Menai Williams, shop manager at Portmeirion for 12 years, was among those to meet the Prince. Afterwards Mrs Williams said: "He said he was sorry it had taken so long for him to visit Portmeirion."

The Prince then took a brief tour of the gardens at Portmeirion before leaving by helicopter.